TWO TAIWANESE, TWO MOZAMBICAN NATIONALS FACE DRUG CHARGES IN SOUTH AFRICA

Two Taiwanese nationals and two Mozambican nationals who have been arrested in South Africa for dealing in drugs and manufacturing drugs are set to make a formal bail application when they appear before the Magistrate’s Court in Benoni, near here, Wednesday.

The four — Chi-Yu Fan and Chi-Chin Fan from Taiwan, and Orcidio Sitoe and Peters Ngwenya from Mozambique — were remanded in custody when they made a brief appearance in the same court on Monday. The four were arrested last week when the Hawks, the priority crimes unit of the police, raided a site on Thomas Road in Pomona.

Police recovered a clandestine laboratory where the suspects manufactured drugs known as crystal meth. The value of the lab is estimated at 3.0 million Rand (about 212,000 US dollars), Hawks spokesperson Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu said Tuesday.

Mulamu said the four suspects were linked to the underground lab and were subsequently arrested.

Police seized drugs, chemicals and drug manufacturing equipment.

Another suspect, who is believed to be the kingpin of this underground operation, has been instructed to surrender to the police within 24 hours. He will be in the company of his legal representatives, said Mulamu.